PERSONAL ACCOUNTTelling their storiesOne spring day last year, Peter Brewer passeda pop-up shop selling telepresence robots,sometimes dubbed “Skype with wheels.” The PaloAlto real estate lawyer, never one to resist newtechnology, bought one and set it up in his office,planning to use it from home to “meet” with col-leagues and clients.Two days later, Brewer was riding his motorcy-cle near the Stanford University campus when hewas hit by a vehicle, went briefly airborne and wasknocked unconscious. During his recovery, whichtook more than half a year, the $2,000 Beamrobot, made by Suitable Technologies, wouldbecome a lifeline to his practice.Though his helmet saved his life, Brewer suf-fered severe brain bleeding and spent more thanPeter N. BrewerLAW OFFICES OFPE TER N. BRE WERCIVIL LITIGATION:PLAINTIFF;REAL ESTATE:CONSUMERPALO ALTOA Comforting (Tele)PresenceHow a timely technology purchase eased Peter Brewer’s mind aftera serious accident BY JUNE D. BELLa week in the intensive care unit at StanfordMedical Center. Surgeons inserted multiple tita-nium rods into his shattered left elbow and arm.

“Titanium is at an all-time high price, so for thefirst time now, I have a salvage value,” Brewersays with a smile. “I told my wife that when Idie, she can’t just drag me over to the mortu-ary. She’s got to take me down to the recyclingcenter first.”Jokes aside, Brewer endured a frustratinglyslow recovery. At first, the technophile couldn’trecall how to perform basic functions on hisphone. He has no memories of friends visiting hishospital room.

Also discouraging was being away from the firmhe founded in 1995. “All of a sudden, bam!” Brewersays. “You’re in the hospital and you’re flat on yourback, and you say, ‘But I’ve got to go meet this cli-ent just now.’ No, you don’t.”Stuck at home, Brewer remembered the Beam.

Using the same technology as a self-driving car,
it runs on a Wi-Fi or cellular network and has
a high-resolution screen roughly the size and
height of a user’s face, multiple microphones and
a rechargeable battery.

Brewer opened the app on his iPad and begangliding around the six-lawyer office to occasionallycheck in with his colleagues.

The Beam-enabled visits reassured him. “I didfeel more connected,” he says. “I wasn’t as isolatedor displaced.”Most of the devices the company has sold sincethe Beam’s 2013 release were to businesses, butother uses include helping physically disabledstudents “attend” college, and concerned familymembers check in on elderly relatives.

When he returned to his office in person,Brewer reports, all was well: “I was really proudof these guys. The place was running like aSwiss train. There was more money in the bankwhen I got back than when I left.”Now pain-free and back to his usual routine,Brewer says the experience has left him withone lasting change: a profound compassion forthe disabled.

He hasn’t shelved the telepresence robot.Brewer fires up the Beam so he can “appear” inthe office earlier than his typical mid-morningarrival. Should any of his lawyers leave the Bay

Brewer jokes abouthis new ‘salvagevalue’ with an armfulof titanium.

Brewer demonstrates
how the Beam
‘transported’ him
into the office when
he couldn’t make it
in person.